The Chinese craving for cigarettes is responsible for rising paper costs in Bible printing, German Bible Society Business Manager Felix Breidenstein recently told the German magazine Der Spiegel, Assist News Service reported.

Because of the rising demand for cigarette paper in China, the special thin paper used in Bible printing is getting more expensive. The German Bible Society sells approximately 400,000 bibles annually. To cut costs, the Bibles are printed not only in Germany but also in Brazil, Indonesia and China.